


The Devil Within

by Madigranger



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse
Genre: AHS, Apocalypse, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-20 01:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17012952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madigranger/pseuds/Madigranger
Summary: Michael and Mallory have a history. One that, unfortunately for him, she doesn't remember. Michael doesn't have much time before the Coven takes her back to jog her memory. If he doesn't get her back soon, he could lose her forever (And, possibly wind up as roadkill at the hand of the woman he loves).  If only he could take her back to the time they spent with one another in his childhood home. Then, maybe, just maybe...





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> ****chapter 3 coming soon! Breaking for the holidays!****

For Mallory, living in Outpost 3 wasn’t much different from her life before the blast. She was still Coco’s slave, only now it wasn’t just Coco. Being a “Gray,” as they were called, no one paid her much attention. That was, until Mr. Langdon showed up.  
When Michael announced that he would be taking a lucky few to his sanctuary, Mallory only filled with hope for a moment before remembering who she was in this new world. There was a small chance she would be able to come along as Coco’s plus one, but still, Mallory was doubtful.  
When her turn came to be interviewed, and she was surprised Michael asked for her at all, Mallory felt a mix of nervousness and terror. She had stayed out of Michael’s way, for the most part, but knew there was something off about him. Something that didn’t sit right. Being in his presence made her feel strange, in a way she couldn’t understand. When she sat across from Michael at his desk, she could feel it stronger than ever before.  
“We can cut the bullshit, Mallory, I know they did something to you. Tell me. Unless, you’re just that shocked that I’m here.” Those were his first words to her, not a single of which she understood.  
“Pardon?”  
“I’m just saying, it’s wonderful to see you again. No matter who you associate with now, it’s good to know you’re...alive.” He seemed almost vulnerable. Not the same man who spent the last week strutting around the building, like he could snap his fingers and kill you in an instant. “It’s no coincidence that either of us are here- in fact, I made sure of it.” Mallory sat unmoved, her mouth agape.  
“Mr. Langdon, I’m sorry, I-I don’t know what you mean.” He leaned in closer, his eyes directly on hers. She could feel her skin crawling, but couldn’t understand why he was having this effect on her.  
“Look, I know that you’re still in there somewhere. Buried deep in this shell they put you in, and I need you to come out, Mallory. I know you must feel something right now. Looking at me again, you must. I sense it in you.” Michael reached a hand across the table to delicately stroke the side of her cheek, hoping his touch would flip the switch inside her brain. Trembling, Mallory turned away from his gaze.  
At the touch of his hand, a vision flashed in her mind. She saw a boy. Young and blonde, sitting with her under a tree. She could smell roses, so strong they had to be real. For a full moment, she felt at peace. “I want to leave,” she choked.  
“You’re afraid. Aren’t you? Of accepting who you are. Who we are.” He let his hand fall. Disappointed, but more determined than before.  
“I don’t know who I am.”  
“What do you mean?” Mallory wasn’t sure. All she knew was that before she felt empty, and now, being here, it was like she’d been storing a bomb in her chest that was ready to blow. Ready to come through. She was afraid of what would happened when it did.  
“Sometimes, I feel like there’s someone buried inside me. Someone trying to claw their way out.”  
“Who?”  
“I don’t know. I just want to go.” Mallory rose from the chair, sprinting to the door. This didn’t feel right. What was he talking about? Michael grabbed Mallory’s arm, stopping her at the door.  
“Don’t be afraid, Mallory. Let me help you.”  
“I said LET ME GO!” A voice echoed from Mallory's throat- one she didn’t recognize as her own. Michael, frighteningly impressed, came back with a shriek of his own. His face turned stone cold; the room went dark. The next thing Mallory knew, the room was in flames- only for a second. Had she done that?  
“Who are you?” He begged for the answer- as if he already knew.  
“I don’t know...who are you?”


	2. Chapter 1

Mallory was only a child when she discovered her own power. First, it was innocent things, like making flowers grow in her backyard. She could move things at will with her mind, but only slightly so. It wasn’t anything alarming that her parents would even notice. It wasn’t until her teen years that her powers started to truly reveal themselves. She could heal wounds, summon objects from across the room, and one she wasn’t even aware of- levitate in her sleep.  
One morning, when her mother walked into her room and screamed, Mallory felt herself fall back down onto the bed, only then aware of what she had been doing. Her parents were afraid, and so was Mallory. It was then that they decided to leave. Mallory woke the next day to a letter from her parents. They loved her, but feared her, and said they needed some time. Eventually, a few days turned into a few weeks, and they never called. They wrote only twice from wherever they had gone, and in their last letter mentioned that someone from their church would be coming to collect her. Mallory didn’t know much about her powers, but she knew this was not going to end well if the church got involved. She packed her own bags, and what little money she had, and went out on her own. That was the day she met Michael.  
While waiting at a bus stop with her bags, a black car pulled up in front of her. The woman inside rolled down her window and smiled at Mallory. She appeared middle-aged, though she wore make-up and had dark, lively hair and eyes. Her smile seemed genuine, but not altogether trustworthy. “Are you lost, sweetheart?” Mallory wasn’t sure how to respond.  
“Um, no, I’m just waiting for...someone.”  
“ Well, whoever they are I don’t think they’re coming.” The woman nodded her head, gesturing to the back seat. “Come on, get in. I don’t bite.” Mallory thought for a moment about the irony of getting into a car with a stranger. For all she knew, this woman could be with the church. Still, she needed a ride, and soon. Mallory stood from the bench, dragging her bags behind her. She opened the back door and tossed her things inside, feeling strange about whether or not to take the passenger seat. She slid into the back anyways, wanting to create an amount of personal space between her and the woman.  
“Have you eaten?” The woman asked. Mallory hadn’t thought much about food lately, her stress made sure of that.  
“No, ma’am.” She answered politely. Mallory didn’t want to put the woman out of her way, but wouldn’t turn down a meal if offered.  
“No worries, then. You can come home with me. I’ll introduce you to my...son. He’s about your age. And you can call me Ms. Mead.” The woman turned in her seat, offering Mallory a warm smile. She still felt uncomfortable, but was grateful for the hospitality. It was more than she had gotten from her own parents in a long time.  
A while later, they arrived at what Mallory guessed was Ms. Mead’s home. It was modest on the outside, but when they entered she felt an unusual warmth. It was homey, and Mallory couldn’t help but feel welcome.  
“You can leave your shoes there, and I’ll have Michael take your things. Michael!” She called. Soon after, a tall blonde stepped through the threshold from the kitchen. He wore a black top and gray sweats, looking as though he'd only just gotten out of bed. His hair was messy, but handsomely so. Mallory was suddenly very aware of herself, and nervously choked an introduction.  
“Hi...I’m Mallory.” Michael smiled at her, taking her in. She was pretty, but with a soft and approachable face. He liked how her hair fell in loose ringlets around her shoulders.  
“Michael. Nice to meet you.” He stuck out his hand, giving hers a light squeeze in greeting. She blushed at his touch, never having been good at meeting new people.  
“Michael, would you be a good host and take her things to the guest room, please.” Ms. Mead gave him a stern look, begging him to be on his best behavior, “And maybe put on some decent attire, while you’re at it,” she added with an endearing smile.  
“Of course, here,” Michael grabbed took Mallory’s things in his arms, and headed down the hall. Mallory watched him leaving, curiously wanting to follow.  
“Why don’t you two get to know each other while I get lunch ready?” Ms. Mead suggested.  
“Oh, sure.” She was glad for the opportunity, but still nervous to speak to him. Strange old women were one thing, but boys with strong jawlines were another.  
Mallory retraced Michael’s steps down the hall, and entered the open room at the end. She knocked lightly on the door frame, and he spun to her attention. “Everything’s ready. The bathroom is right across the hall, and my room is there,” he pointed to the door to the right of hers, “and Ms. Mead’s is there,” the one next to the bathroom. “Would you like something to drink?” It was kind of him to offer, and Mallory could feel her throat drying with nerves anyways.  
“Yeah, just some water would be fine, thank you.” Michael slid past her and opened the door to his room, returning with a bottle of water. It was cold- he must have a mini fridge in there.  
“So, where did you come from anyways?” Asked Michael.  
“A bus stop. She- Ms. Mead, she picked me up and brought me here. My parents…they kind of just left me. It’s a long story.”  
“Yeah, I think I know what that’s like.” She then wondered if Michael wasn’t Ms. Mead’s real son, but had a similar story to hers. The thought of that comforted her a little, knowing that she took him in and took such good care of him. Maybe Mallory had found a safe place, for now.  
When Ms. Mead called the two of them to the kitchen for lunch, Mallory started to notice some strange things about the house. The choice of decor was odd, to say the least. Shapes drawn on the walls, framed symbols Mallory didn’t recognize, and a few that she did; in the kitchen was what looked to be a shrine. The most noticeable piece was the upside-down cross and pentagram display engraved in the wall. To Mallory’s discomfort, it appeared to be traced over with blood. It was then that she noticed the small carcasses of animals on the shelf below it, and felt a chill run down her spine. What kind of people were they?  
“Oh, that?” Ms. Mead chimed when she noticed Mallory staring, “That’s our place of worship. We pray to our Lord before each meal, and keep this shrine to remind us of why we give thanks.” She said it so pleasantly, Mallory wondered if they were looking at the same display.  
“Right, of course…” Mallory was afraid to say anything against it. After all, they did offer to feed her, and she would be leaving soon. Michael stood at the other end of the room, looking slightly embarrassed that Mallory discovered their…religious affiliation. She couldn’t really judge- her parents thought she was the spawn of Satan, anyways, and this was just icing on the cake. Michael stepped towards Mallory, like he wanted to offer an explanation, but Ms. Mead had set the table and invited them both to eat. Lunch was a salad with slices of grilled steak, or, what she hoped was steak.  
Mallory took slow bites, not wanting to seem greedy, but stopped when she noticed the two of them had their hands locked in a silent prayer. She felt rude not obliging, but praying, no matter to whom, wasn’t really her thing. When he opened his eyes, Michael looked up at her with a reassuring smile, and began to stuff his own face as if he were the one who hadn’t eaten a full meal in days.  
“Thank you so much for dinner, it was very kind of you.” Ms. Mead beamed at Mallory, as if she weren’t used to anyone having manners.  
“It was our pleasure. You can stay as long as you’d like.” She didn’t plan on staying long, but Mallory knew it would be smart to stay for the night. Where else would she go? “Michael, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind helping this young lady feel more at home?” His ears perked up for the first time since he began eating.  
“Sure! I can show you my room, I have some games and things.” He sounded excited to have company- and Mallory thought it was pretty cute.  
Mallory insisted on helping clean up after dinner, and then met Michael in his room. He was sitting on his bed, fiddling with a Rubik’s cube in his hands.  
“Hey, come in.” Mallory took a few steps inside, but still felt out of place in his room. “Can I ask you something?”  
“Ok,”  
“I can sense something about you. Something different. Am I wrong?” At first, Mallory was a little caught off guard. Maybe her parents were right; maybe she was possessed by a demon after all. He would know, wouldn’t he?  
“That’s a little vague…” she replied, trying to brush it off with a joke.  
“No, no, I mean…do you have any kind of abilities?” So he could tell. Mallory wasn’t the type for showing off the things she could do, especially after being screamed at and called horrible things by her own family, but she thought it would be fun to try and impress Michael. It was a fresh start, and she wanted to feel in control.  
With a glance over her shoulder, Mallory pushed the door slightly closed, and sat next to Michael on the bed. She reached out a finger, hovering an inch above his cube as each level spun left and right until each color was perfectly aligned. She turned to Michael, hoping for his approval. He sat with his mouth agape, a smile creeping onto his lips. “That was amazing!” Mallory smiled with pride, feeling her cheeks become warm. “Let me show you something.” Michael held out his palm and focused his eyes in concentration. After a few moments, three fluffy snowflakes materialized at eye-level, and fell into his hand. “It’s not much,” he added, feeling as though it wasn’t as good as what Mallory had performed, “but I’ve been trying to make more and more each time. So far I can only get enough to form a single snow ball, and that’s if I’m trying for hours.”  
When he met her eyes, Mallory took his outstretched hand into her own. “I think it was magical,” and truly, she did. Her favorite kinds of magic involved element manipulation, though hers was usually with plants.  
Michael could see the gleam in her eyes, and he felt it too. Both of them were comforted knowing that there were others who were like them. 'Maybe Ms. Mead finding me wasn’t a coincidence at all,' thought Mallory.  
'Like fate', Mallory heard Michael’s voice respond, but his lips hadn’t moved. Not understanding how unusual this was, the two of them laughed, and Michael challenged her to solve his puzzle without cheating. Neither of them knew of their destined connection, or how it would impact the fate of the world they knew.


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler- sorry about that. Next one will have more content x

Michael wasn’t used to having friends, let alone one like Mallory. Though their abilities were different, he’d never met anyone so much like him. Michael had always seen himself as a monster, made only for destruction. Everyone he’d ever loved cast him out and were cruel to him, and he didn’t think he deserved any better. Living with Ms. Mead was a much better experience; she loved him unconditionally, and encouraged him to practice his powers, praising him for his accomplishments. She didn’t scream when he lost control and accidentally killed a few rats, or set flames to the furniture. She helped him stay calm, and learn to manage his temper. She treated his gifts as just that: gifts.  
Michael would still doubt himself when he would slip into periods of darkness. There was a time, at his old home, where he would be filled with such murderous rage and take it out on anyone or anything to cross his path. Ms. Mead taught him how to concentrate this energy as well, and showed him how to pray to their ‘Lord’, Satan, for guidance. At first, he thought this sounded silly, but it did change his perspective. Michael began to see that his gifts had a greater purpose. The way Ms. Mead spoke about it all, being evil was a good thing. It wasn’t something to hide, it was an energy to harness and use for gain. Michael bought it- it was all starting to make sense, and he no longer felt ashamed of who he was and what he could do. That was, until Mallory came along.  
There was something about her that made him feel so out of place. She was gentle, and kind. She never got angry, and only used her powers to help others. Michael could feel her having an impact on him. When she was around, his powers were both stronger and weaker; he could do things he was never able to do before, and yet what he felt he knew so well was foreign all of a sudden. Mallory made him want to do good, too. If only for her. He felt so protective of her since the day they met, and though it had only been a week, he never wanted to leave her side.  
It was the first day of the weekend, when Ms. Mead usually took her trips out of town to gather ‘supplies’ for her rituals. Mallory didn’t bother to ask what this meant, and was a little afraid to find out. Michael started a fire in the living room for the two of them with a wave of his hand, and they sat together on the couch, staring at the amber flames in a soothing silence. Mallory felt comfortable here; there was no judgement. She felt more at home with Michael than she had with anyone else. Friends were hard to keep when you had to hide a huge part of yourself from them, but she didn’t need to hide from Michael  
“So, Mallory,” said Michael, breaking the silence. His voice wavered.  
“Yes?” Mallory turned her eyes to face him, taking notice of the golden glow from the fire on his skin. He couldn’t have been more beautiful.  
“When you came here, you said your parents left you. What did you mean?” He seemed hesitant to ask, but she knew he would be curious eventually.  
“When they finally noticed my powers, they were scared. They called me the Devil.” Michael laughed at this, only for the irony.  
“I know the Devil. You’re not him. Far from it, actually.” Michael patted her hand gently, allowing her to continue.  
“They just…left. They sent people from the church after me, and I got out of there before they could come. Who knows what they would have done to me. I felt like such a freak all my life, and even my own parents think so.” A tear rolled down Mallory’s cheek, but she made no move to wipe it away. She bore her gaze into the fire, hoping Michael wouldn’t notice. Michael let this sink in, knowing all too well how she was feeling.   
“My parents didn’t want me either. No one in my family did. My grandmother…well, she…I was lot for her to handle.” Michael spoke with a lump in his throat, and Mallory could tell that he was near tears himself. “My father…well, step-father, kind of- it’s complicated. He made me think I could be worth something, but I still wasn’t good enough for him. Ms. Mead found me, and here I am.” Michael knew that ‘here’ wasn’t such a bad place to be, but part of his still wished he had his real family. “You’re no Devil, Mallory, I know. As for me, I’m not too sure.” Michael was afraid of himself, though he would never tell her that. He had never seen heard of anyone doing the things he had done, not even from the group of Satanists that Ms. Mead was heavily involved in. They all treated him like some chosen one, but there was so much he didn’t understand. He was desperate to belong somewhere, but it didn’t feel right. The only thing that did was Mallory, curling into his arm and sharing the warmth of the fire.   
Physically, they had never been this close, but now that they were, Michael felt all of the worry he was holding in leave him. He was where he belonged, here and now, with her. In some way, he knew they were connected.  
The two of them hadn’t tested their mental communication much since the first time. Mallory had been keeping her guard up, but in his arms, it all fell apart.  
‘Michael?’ She concentrated on the thought. When he looked down at her, she knew it had worked. Mallory froze in his gaze- his startling blue eyes were always catching her off guard. Michael’s lips parted slightly inviting her closer. She could see an image of the two of them in his mind, and her neck flushed up to her cheeks. In a quick moment of courage, before she could change her mind, Mallory placed her hand at the back of Michael’s neck and pulled him in, pressing her lips to his. They were somehow softer than she’d imagined.  
Michael’s eyes fluttered closed as they touched, finally feeling a release of tension throughout his body. Whatever he felt he was missing before was finally in place. “Mallory…” she heard his voice moan her name, whether out loud or in his thoughts she couldn’t tell, but the sound of it was enchanting. When the two of them finally separated, Michael beamed at her, his pupils enlarged from the darkness.  
“I want to take you somewhere tomorrow, okay? I want to show you where I came from.” Mallory nodded with a smile, excited to get to know more about the boy she had just met but felt so intertwined with. Lying back onto his chest, the two of them slept soundly on the couch, lulled by the sound of the other’s breathing.

**Author's Note:**

> ****chapter 3 coming soon! Breaking for the holidays!****


End file.
